


A Chamber of Mystery- The Phoenix Chronicles

by AlexIsBadAtNames



Series: The Phoenix Chronicles [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Voldemort, Gen, Werewolf, butmaybehellchangehismind;), chamberisopenedearlierthistimebutforgoodreason, imstillnotsureifimadetherightchoiceonlil'shouse, riddlesaprofessorbecausehedidntevil, thekiddosarecluelessbuttheyrestillgooddetectives, thephoenixesaremypreciousbabs, tobyisapreciousboi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-23
Updated: 2019-07-14
Packaged: 2020-03-10 02:45:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18929701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexIsBadAtNames/pseuds/AlexIsBadAtNames
Summary: Young Lillian Nyx's first year at Hogwarts takes a turn for the worst as a mystery is unraveled about an ancient secret deep below the school. She and her ragtag band of self-proclaimed detectives must work to uncover the mystery before the monster of Slytherin takes down the whole school.It's destroy the beast... or die trying.Updates coming every Saturday for the foreseeable future :P





	1. Chapter One

The young girl squealed with delight as the deep grey owl swooped in, depositing a letter on her bed. She patted the bird gently and then sent it on its way with a small treat as payment.

It didn't take long before the eleven-year-old was racing down the stairs, whooping and waving the letter around as she entered the kitchen.

"Papa, you won't believe it! My-" The man placed a finger to his lips and patted his daughter on the head. "Now, now, Lillian. I'm sure that whatever you have to say will blow me right out of the water, but why don't we wait for Mum to come down at least?" The curly haired girl grinned and gave him a nod, skipping into the dining room with the letter clutched against her chest.

It didn't take long before her mother was coming down the stairs, her younger twin brothers in tow.

"Lillian, darling, I'm sure whatever you're going on about is very exciting, but would you try not to wake the whole house?" The young girl's wry smirk held no promises, but she gave her mother a curt nod nonetheless.

"Why'd we have to get up so early just 'cuz Lil's goin' to Hogwarts?" one of the boys moaned.

"Yeah, I wanna go too!" He got a jab from his brother, signaling that that was definitely not the right response, but Marian paid no mind.

"What's that in there? It sounds like some grumpy little goblins who don't want any pancakes!" Upon hearing the singsong voice, all three children clamored for their seats at the table, and the tall wizard came in with enough food to feed an army.

Or a family of five.

"Ah, ah, ah, I believe somebody has some exciting news to share," he said, blocking one of the boys from reaching for the food. "Lillian?" The twins groaned, sinking back into their chairs and shooting their older sister a look.

"I got my Hogwarts acceptance letter!" she proclaimed, holding it up for all to see.

"Indeed you did, my  _petite étoile_!" her father said, ruffling her hair. "You're going to do wonderful, I just know it."

"Papaaa! Can we _please_ eat now?" The man chuckled and gave his sons a nod, taking his own seat as the family set upon the food.

Lillian ate quickly, very eager to visit Dragon Alley for herself. The twins, on the other hand, couldn't seem to take _enough_ time, and Lillian flicked one of them as she zoomed by, rushing about the house.

When finally the girl and her father stepped out of the fireplace at the Leaky Cauldron, Lillian was more taken than ever with the bustling alley.

"Papa, Papa, can we go to Ollivander's first? Can we can we can weee?!" Her father gave a hearty laugh and obliged, the 11-year-old practically dragging him to the wand shop.

Lillian was still grinning as they entered the small store. The old man scribbling something at his desk looked up and greeted them with a soft smile. "Ah, Mr. Henry Nyx. Back again, I see. What is it, 3 times this year? And you've gone and dragged the little one into it too," he tutted, standing and coming towards them. "How do you do, young lady?"

She giggled and looked at her father, who appeared quite red. "Well Mr. Ollivander, we're actually here to get  _Lillian_ her first wand today."

"Ah, your first year at Hogwarts? Well, I shall see what I can do. Does anything in my shop call to you, Miss Nyx?"

How were wands supposed to call to her? They weren't even in distinctive boxes! Brushing off the thought, she glanced around and pointed to one sticking out of one of the lowest rows. The old man quickly retrieved the wand- quite spry for one who seemed to be in his 100s at least- and handed it to her gingerly. She slowly removed the lid and peered at the contents, her eyes lighting up with fascination. 

"Hm... Black cherry wood, 12 inches... and with a dragon heartstrings core, if I'm not mistaken. Why don't you give it a little wave?" The girl removed the wand from the box and stood there for a moment, looking to her father, who simply nodded at her. She did as told, and sparks flew from the wand, like tiny fireworks that let out high-pitched- pops. Ollivander gave her a small, sincere smile. "Very nice, young lady. Run along now, I'm sure you've better things to do than entertain an old man."

* * *

 

When the young girl and her father Apparated back to the front gates of their home, they could see the four other members of their family sitting out on the front porch. "Matthias! You have fun staying with the Sylvans?" Her brother scoffed at that. "I'm not sure that anyone could classify Madam Sylvan as 'fun'. Honestly, how Aspen lives under the same roof is beyond me... but I'd rather know how excited my little sis is for her first year at Hogwarts!"

Lillian squealed in response. "Diagon Alley is amazing! I wish Mum had taken all of us with you last year." The older boy chuckled. "Well, it can't have been as fun as a formal dinner party." The girl scrunched her nose at the suggestion and marched into the the house without another word.


	2. Chapter Two

The days until the end of summer dragged on for what seemed like an eternity. Lillian felt as if she were wasting away, passing the long hours by practicing a few simple spells she had been taught in her youth.

Just as all hope seemed lost, the day finally came. The entire Nyx family gathered at King's Cross, surrounded by a sea of young witches and wizards waving tearful goodbyes to their own families.

 Lillian squeezed both her parents tightly, and even offered a brief hug to the twins. "Papa, what if I don't do well?" she asked, clutching the folds of his cloak.

"You will do fine,  _étoile._ In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if you were the smartest little witch in your whole year!" The girl giggled as he ruffled her hair and she gave him another hug before turning back towards the train. "Thank you, Papa."

"Lil! We gotta get going, the train is about to leave!" Matthias called. The girl glanced over her shoulder and smiled at her parents. "I promise I'll write!"

Once on board, the siblings found an empty compartment and settled themselves in. Lillian asked him about sitting with his friends, but her brother waved it away with a remark about how they were "bloody pricks" and he "should have known better", which did shut her up for a bit.

A moment after the train began moving, a small boy, who looked to be a first year like herself, knocked gently on the compartment door. "I-I, uh, sorry to intrude, but I wanted to ask... If I could sit here?" Lillian nodded enthusiastically and practically threw herself against the window to make room.

"What, do I not get any input?" Matthias drawled, not even glancing up from his book.

"Not at all!" she chirped before turning to the newcomer. "My name's Lillian! Do you how do?"

"Oh, I, uh... I'm To-Tobias." He held up a hand stiffly, and Lillian took it, but rather than shaking pulled him onto the seat.

"Can I call ya Toby?"

* * *

Lillian turned out to be quite fortunate, because if not for Toby, she would have been left alone when the first years were separated from the other students. Being as it was, the two ended up sharing a canoe, with Lillian doing a majority of the actual rowing.

"There's a rock up a-  _head..._ "

Despite a few bumps- the giant squid startled both of them quite a bit when one of its tentacles rose out of the water- the pair made it safely to the other side of the lake on solid ground. The first year students "oo"ed and "ah"ed as they were led into the absolutely massive building.

The group of young students was ushered in and guided through a long series of stairs and corridors, an elderly witch stopping them in front of a large door. The professor pulled out her wand and tapped her throat with it before speaking to the small crowd in a much louder voice than Lillian thought possible.

Maybe that was why Mum's shouts were always so loud.

"Greetings, new students. It is my honour and privilege to welcome you to our noble school today, and to introduce you to what I hope will be a second home to you for the next seven years. Now, in a few moments, you will be sent into the Great Hall to be Sorted into one of the school's four Houses. However, there are a few things I must inform you of before we proceed."

There were a few murmurs and shifting feet through the crowd, but Lillian remained fixated on the professor, barely noticing how tightly she was gripping Toby's hand until he pulled it away. She muttered an apology, but continued staring intently at the witch before them.

"As you all know, today marks the beginning of your magical journeys. For most of you, your housemates will be your family for the duration of your stay here. You will learn with them, dine with them, live with them, and if all goes well, you will graduate with this same group of people." The professor paused for a moment as a younger-looking witch whispered something in her ear, then nodded. "Students! It is time. Follow me." And with that, the doors swung open.

The first years flooded into the Great Hall, led by the elderly witch who had given the speech. At the other end of the Hall, just in front of what Lillian assumed to be the Headmaster's podium, sat a large old hat on a stool. The professor rummaged in the folds of her cloak and retrieved a large scroll, which she unrolled only a small part of the way. 

"When you hear your name, please come forward to be Sorted." She began by calling out a name that Lillian didn't quite catch, and a small, mousy-looking girl scurried forward. The professor picked up the hat, gesturing for her to take a seat, and placed it on her head. 

It sat quite still before ripping open along a long horizontal hole just above the brim. "HUFFLEPUFF!" A cheer came from the table just to the right, and the girl practically Apparated over to the table, the professor barely having a chance to remove the Hat from her head.

They went down the long list of names, small cheers erupting from whatever table the student happened to go to, and it went on like that for some time. Toby, who was near the beginning and who Lillian had to practically shove forward, was sorted into Ravenclaw.

After a long and tiring wait, the witch called for a "Nyx, Lillian" and she bolted forward. Upon having the hat placed on her head, Lillian heard a soft gasp. A voice seemed to come from nowhere, until she realized- it was the hat.

 _"Ah, a tricky one I see. You, young lady, are quite the mystery. I see within you quick wit, yes, Ravenclaw may suit you best. But you also have a heart that is true, Hufflepuff may be better for you. Slytherin, the House from which your family hails, one in which I think you could also prevail."_ Lillian shifted on the stool, barely resisting the urge to bite her lip. Certainly, her grandparents and brother were in Slytherin, but did that mean she was expected to be as well? Her mother had been a Ravenclaw, and her father a Hufflepuff, and they had said to follow her heart. She simply wasn't sure if Slytherin was where it led.

The hat hummed for a moment, almost seeming to read her mind before it bellowed, "RAVENCLAW!" A grin broke out across her face and she hopped off the stool, running to join Toby.


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the semi-late update, lovelies! 😅  
> Kinda blanked and lost track of the date, but I hope this chapter is alright enough to make up for it!

Of course, as luck would have it, their very first class of the ENTIRE YEAR had to be History of Magic. Professor Binns' low, droning voice put everyone, even Toby, to sleep almost immediately. Upon further contemplation, Lillian supposed that may be a blessing in disguise, as she hadn't dozed off until well after midnight. 

As the pair set off for their next class, she was nearly trampled by two redheaded boys in what looked to be Gryffindor robes. A few older-looking Slytherins pushed past them, one brandishing his wand and shouting curses after the two. Lillian's eyes shot open and she gave chase, shouting for a teacher. "Someone is dueling in the halls!"

She slowed to a stop when she saw that Professor McGonagall had all five frozen in their tracks. "What is the meaning of this?! Dueling in the halls, and on the first day of term no less? I out to send all of you straight back to your-"

"Professor! It's not their fault!" Lillian managed, gasping for breath. The elderly witch narrowed her eyes at the first year, and she suddenly felt extremely small.

"Excuse me?"

"They," she panted, gesturing vaguely to the redheads, "were running from those boys, they never even had their- wands out." The professor's face reddened and she glowered at the three Slytherins. "Is this true?"

The smallest of them was the first to speak up, squeaking out an indignant "of course not!" before falling silent under McGonagall's glare. The witch only had to continue staring for a moment before he cracked. "I-I mean... Yes, Professor." 

The professor's harrowing gaze swept over the scene before she gave a thoroughly displeased noise. "The five of you to my office. And Miss Nyx?" Lillian stiffened instantly under the Deputy Headmistress' scrutiny.

"Y-yes, Professor?"

"15 points to Ravenclaw. Now get to class before your teacher has to take those points back." Instantly relaxing with the threat of McGonagall's wrath gone, Lillian turned back to look for her abandoned friend among the crowd.

Unfortunately, the Fates seemed to be squarely against the young witch, because she searched for at least five minutes before giving up and cursing the lost time. She'd have to run if she wanted to make it to Potions on time, and she definitely didn't want McGonagall's warning to be realized.

Out of breath once again, she burst into the Potions classroom. It was surprisingly empty- perhaps she wasn't as late as she'd thought- and Toby gave her a sheepish wave from a desk near the front. The room was surprisingly cozy for a location in the dungeon, and she suspected that the colour scheme had been created with Gryffindors squarely in mind.

Lillian's eyes swept over the classroom, taking in every detail. Everything from the plush red rug under the teacher's cauldron to the red and gold wall hangings confirmed that their Potions Professor was definitely a strong supporter of the House of chivalry (or the house of fools, to some). There was a large blackboard that took up most of the space on the front wall, glowing balls of light that filled the room with a pulsing warmth, and three doors- one that lead outside the classroom, and probably one leading to a storeroom of some sort. She supposed the last was the teacher's private office.

The eleven-year-old gave a satisfied sigh and sat down on the cushioned chair next to her friends, reaching for her textbook and a spare bit of parchment. "I hope our teacher's nice," her Housemate muttered absentmindedly, fidgeting with his hands. "I heard some horrible things about the last Potions Master."

"Where would you get that idea? My older brother- he's in his second year- he said the Potions Professor was wonderful. It's the Divination lady you've got to watch out for."

"Why's that?" her companion enquired. Lillian, having not heard much other than that warning, simply shrugged. "Matty said she's a bit daft, I think. Too much incense." This earned a snort, but Toby stiffened as one of the doors opened.

Everyone in the classroom immediately looked up as young-looking witch with fiery red hair- _hadn't she seen that lady before?_ \- swept into the classroom. There was silence as the main door shut with a bang and the woman looked out over the room full of first years. "Hello, students, and welcome to Potions. My name is Professor Lily Potter."


	4. Chapter Four

It was dinner the next day when Lillian felt a tap on her shoulder. She spun around to see... The Gryffindor boys from yesterday? The thought crossed her mind that they appeared to be twins before one of them spoke.

"Hullo. Just wanted-"

"-to thank you. You know-"

"-for saving our skins yesterday."

"He's Fred, and I'm-"

"-George."

 **"How d'ye do?"** they asked in unison. Lillian's head was spinning as she tried to process what was going on.

"I-um... I'm fine, thanks. How about... you guys?" Her companion had apparently caught wind of the conversation and had turned around, staring at the redheads as if the had just hopped off of Ravenclaw Tower.

"Oh, we're just-" the one who had been introduced as George began.

"-splendid! If it weren't-"

"-for you, me and George-"

"-that is, George and I-"

"-probably would've got a-"

"-week's detention." Toby gave Lillian a confounded look before turning back to his food, muttering about how it was "her problem".

"Of-of course. I... couldn't just stand by and let you get hurt by those boys." These two were more than confusing, especially with how they used their names almost interchangeably, and a small, dark part of her regretted sticking up for them.

"Right. Anyways, we were gonna-"

"-sneak off to the-"

"-Quidditch pitch next week-"

"-to prank the snakes, of course." Snakes? Were they talking about the Slytherins?

"And we wanted to know-"

"-if you'd join us." This once again caught her friend's attention, and he stared at her with eyes as wide as saucers, shaking his head vigirously. Lillian considered it for a moment before shooting Toby a sly glance and replying with a smirk. "Certainly."

He let out a loud groan before she continued. "Could my friend here come too?"

* * *

Lillian practically dragged her companion across the grounds as they made their way towards the Quidditch pitch. Her insistence of "Calm  _down,_ Tobias, it's not like we'll get in  _that_ much trouble" had been enough to get him to come, but it did nothing to quell the endless flow of complaints.

"For the thousandth time, Toby, if you're going to be such a downer you can just go.  _I,_ for one, would like to actually make some friends." This shut him up, although he did grumble one final warning. Lillian ignored it, though, and her pace quickened as the twins came into view, huddled behind the stands.

"Oh, there you-"

"-are! We were starting to think-"

"-you two might've ratted us out." Lillian shook her head, firmly gripping Toby's arm to stop any last minute apprehensions, and plopped down by the Gryffindors' side. "So, what exactly are we planning here?" A grin spread across both their faces and one reached into his robes, pulling out a handful of odd-looking devices.

"Alright, so-" 

"-we've come up with these, see-"

"-stinkbombs, of course-"

"-bit amateur but Filch snagged our other stuff-"

"-and anyway we need you to sneak in-"

"-and plant them in the Slytherin's practice robes."

"With your friend here distracting them." Toby paled at this suggestion and started trying to pull away from Lillian, stumbling as he tried to stand. She tugged on his arm, telling him to calm down, and examined the devices in the twins' hands. "Are you sure I shouldn't be the distraction? Tobias doesn't work well under pressure, as you can see."

"I don't work well when breaking school rules, actually!" he squeaked indignantly. "And I will  _not_ be caught planting contraband on the Quidditch team!"

"You'd rather be the bait?" Toby's face dropped at that, and he began examining the stinkbombs with a sudden interest. "So how do these work exactly?"

"Oh calm down. I'm sure you can come up with something suitably ridiculous to keep them occupied." He huffed at that and refused to meet her eyes.

"Well, if you're done-"

"-they're going to be coming soon-"

 **"-so you'd best hurry,"** the twins said. Lillian still had not adjusted to how well-timed their speech was, and it almost made her shudder. Still, she stood and carefully tucked the devices in her bag. "Toby, if you need me out quickly, just shout, 'I hope you have a nice practice' as loud as you can."

He looked uncomfortable, but not as much as before, and nodded before heading back up in the direction of the castle. "Oh, and those are set to go off in fifteen minutes, so you'd best hurry!" one of the twins called after Lillian as she sprinted off towards the locker room.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, sorry for the lateness, but I had to redo some of the outdoor scene cause it was a little... meh  
> (Still is imo but I gotta get this chapter out soooo)


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